Form 24Q was replaced by Form 138 with effect from FY 2026-27.
Replaced by
the the quarterly statement of tax deducted from salary, prescribed under section 397(3)(b) of the Income-tax Act, 2025 and rule 219 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026
Effective from
FY 2026-27
Form 24Q applies to earlier periods
The form follows the year the return covers, not the date you file it. A return for FY 2025-26 or earlier is still filed on Form 24Q under the Income-tax Rules, 1962, including a correction filed today, so the Q4 FY 2025-26 statement due on 31 May 2026 was filed on Form 24Q even though that date fell after 1 April 2026. Two separate dates are in play and they are easy to confuse: 1 April 2025 brought the Finance Act 2025 threshold changes, which happened under the old Income-tax Act, 1961, while 1 April 2026 brought the Income-tax Act, 2025 and this form change.
Form 24Q, Quarterly TDS Return for Salary
Quarterly TDS return reporting tax deducted from salary payments.
Who files it
Employers deducting TDS on employee salaries.
Frequency
Quarterly
Due date
31 July (Q1), 31 October (Q2), 31 January (Q3), 31 May (Q4)
Filed with
TRACES / Income Tax e-filing portal
Form 24Q reports salary paid and TDS deducted for each employee during the quarter, and forms the basis for the Form 16 an employer issues at year-end. The fourth quarter's filing includes annual salary details for the full financial year, not just the January-March period.
Late filing attracts a fee under Section 234E, calculated per day of delay, in addition to any interest on delayed deposit of the tax itself.
Disclaimer
This is a quick-reference summary, not a filing walkthrough. Due dates shown are the statutory defaults and can be extended in practice; applicability depends on your specific registration, turnover, and entity type. For general informational purposes only, not professional tax or legal advice.